Kingdom Beyond a Star
by sweetsugar11
Summary: Christmas time!Just when things are getting exciting,a mysterious Prince of the Snow appears,claiming Fine as his uld Fine have known this boy,once,long ago...?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

"Fine—wait! Please…I…can't…keep…up!" Rein panted, running after Fine as she sped toward the auditorium.

Fine ran back, grabbed Rein's hand, and sprinted the rest of the way, a smile bright on her face. Today was the day! She, Rein, Shade, Bright, and their other friends were putting on a play for the school on Christmas Eve! Today was going to be their first rehearsal! The school board inspectors were coming to watch; they said it would raise their overall grade 10 points!

_Hehe, now I won't have Camelot and Lulu up in my face all the time! _Fine thought happily. She reached the auditorium doors and skipped inside.

"_There's a king-dom just be-yond a star, not too far, You can go, if you on-ly dare." _The eleven seed princesses' and the seed prince's chorus voices rang out over the room. Mirlo was painting the set. The others were separately rehearsing their lines. Fine stopped for a moment to listen to the next line of the chorus. "_In this king-dom you'll find ev-'ry sweet tast-y treat you can eat wait-ing for you there!"_

Fine started drooling a little. Rein nudged her and she reluctantly went back to work. Staring at her script with the words "The Nutcracker" at the top, she couldn't believe she was here. _Why am I here?_ She thought. Then she remembered.

Lione had suddenly wanted to switch parts. At first she was Marie, the lead girl character, and Fine was the Sugar Plum Fairy (which suited her because she got to think about yummy sugar plums), but when Lione had looked through the script, she started giggling nervously and said to Fine, "Please, will you switch with me? Pretty please with a cherry on top and chocolate sauce all over the ice cream cone?"

Well, Fine couldn't resist that. So they switched, and now Fine was Marie. She flipped numbly through the script until she landed on one sentence…and instantly understood why Lione had switched.

_"He takes her hand and exits…" _The script instructed.

The thought made her blush. She knew that Shade (her all-time crush) was the Nutcracker, and if that meant holding her hand…

Fine started squealing to herself, face red, clutching her head and shaking it from side to side vigorously. Shade saw her and sweatdropped. Bright laughed. Rein quickly shook Fine by the shoulders and asked, "What are you doing?"

"_It's a mag-ic place, a lov-'ly sight, pure delight! If you go, you will want to stay!"_

Rein peered at the page Fine was turned to in her script, then leaned in close. "Oh…I see! Magic on Christmas Eve, eh?"

"What happened?" Shade came up and asked.

Fine stammered, "Huh? Oh, nothing! Nothing at all…," while at the same time trying to ignore the wink Rein gave her as she walked away.

_Slam!_

The auditorium doors swung open and some snow floated in. The wind died down and everyone saw the silhouette of someone against the dark evening sky. The person stalked in; suddenly everything seemed as if in slow motion.

The figure appeared closer and closer. Nobody made a sound. Before she knew it, the person—a boy—had leaped onto the stage and moved in front of Fine. Another strong gust of wind and snow swirled in out of nowhere and wrapped the two in a small blizzard. Fine stared, wide-eyed, at his ice-blue eyes, snow-white clothing, and glossy cape, which was billowing in the breeze. Fine's hair abruptly came loose from her golden hair rings. It was one of the rare times she felt her hair flying around her freely, and it left an odd feeling in her, like there was something she should have remembered, a long time ago...

Then he grabbed Fine's wrist and flew into the air, out into the open night sky twinkling with stars. He traveled along with lightning speed.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Fine shrieked.

"Fine!" She heard everyone else holler behind her.

And from the distance, she thought she could hear another line of the song "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy."

"_If you dare now, we'll go there now, through the air now, to-day!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"What—"

Before she could react, the boy pushed Fine into a snow mound. The snow caved in, and she was buried deep inside. Just when she was going to jump back out and give the boy a piece of her mind, she heard faint voices, so she settled back into the snow.

"Your Highness, Prince—" The voice of a gruff old man loomed near.

"I know, I know! I just went for a walk, nothing to fuss over," The replying voice, apparently that of the boy's, said.

For the first time since he whisked her away, Fine heard his voice. It was a nice sound, rich and melodic, depicting just a hint of dignity. But what was his name? Prince I-lied-and-actually-kidnapped-an-innocent-girl-from-Christmas-play-rehearsal? Suddenly she felt her cheeks flush and her heartbeat quicken. What was this feeling? An old memory rapped at her brain, but to no avail. She couldn't remember anything about this person, yet he seemed familiar somehow…

Fine was jarred from her emotions by the rising voice of the old man. She silently scolded herself for not paying better attention to the conversation. She'd completely missed the last portion!

The old man said, "Your Highness, _please_! You don't have time to go flitting around whenever you wish! There are your royal duties! Now if you'll come this way, you need to go see the queen. Then the princess has required an urgent meeting with you, and the new museum needs you for the cutting-the-ribbon ceremony…"

"Gerald!" The prince interrupted. "I understand! I don't need your reminders! I was just sidetracked, ok? I'll be to all those places later, but for now, I have some business to attend to."

"But Your Highness—"

"_Goodbye, _Gerald."

Fine listened nervously as the old man—Gerald—sighed and walked away. She waited and waited, but nothing else happened. The snow was squeezing her in, packed so tightly she could hardly move. She was starting to panic about not being able to breathe when she heard a crunchy sound and felt an arm supporting her waist. She was carried out of the snow mound and into the crisp, cool air.

Staring into his ice blue eyes, Fine blushed again (she seemed to be doing a lot of that recently). Embarrassed, she started flailing her arms and shouting "Let me go, let me go!"

Surprised, the boy let her go and she fell back onto the snow.

"Ow!" Fine complained. "I mean, who are you and what do you want with me? Where is this place? Who was that guy you were talking to? What's your plan How am I going to get back Ohmygosheveryone'sgonnabesoworried!"

She talked faster and faster until what she said just became a jumble of mixed-up words, the boy silently staring at her.

When at last Fine ran out of questions and was standing there panting like a dog, the boy opened his mouth and said, "Long time no see, Fine. :D"

Fine gaped at him with her mouth open.

She looked at her surroundings. The sky was a bright crystal blue with a shading of light green and turquoise all mixed together. The whole land was covered in a pure white, deep layer of snow and in the distance, Fine could see a bustling little town with houses made out of either ice blocks, crystals, snowflakes, or glass. All in all, everything was extremely glossy and shiny. The sun was overhead, and it seemed to Fine that it was beating down especially on her. The glare of everything seemed directed into her eyes.

With a thud, she fainted and fell back, causing a light sprinkle of snow as they flew up.

~Later~

She woke up in a circular bedroom made of packed-in snow powder glazed with a thin sheet of ice. Thankfully, there was no heat or glare in the room, but it shone just the same.

Fine slowly pulled back the sky blue blanket and dangled her legs off the edge of the bed. A white letter fluttered to the floor. She picked it up. On the flap it had (probably) the seal of this kingdom, wherever it was.

On the envelope it read "To: Princess Fine, Sunny Kingdom"

Fine opened the envelope and read the letter:

_Dear Fine,_

_Please forgive me for that rough beginning. Meet us in the royal Snow-dome at 6:00 to discuss our plans._

_In case you're wondering, there's no way to leave Crystal Realm except through the Star._

_Akihiko_

What?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**~Fine's POV~**

I panicked. There was no way out? How was I supposed to go back?

I jumped off the bed and started for the door, then tripped over who-knows-what, and, arms flailing wildly, fell toward a full-length mirror. I had just enough time to look up before the impact I was sure was going to happen. What I saw chilled me to the bone: a white dress imprinted into the mirror, just floating there. Added to my fear of ghosts, I would have fainted again if I wasn't getting ready for the big crash…that never happened.

Instead there was a sort of feeling passing through me like when you step into water from air. It felt as if in slow-motion. Then I hit the floor for real.

But when I looked up, I wasn't in the bedroom anymore. I was in a circular space with mirrors, big and small, floating eerily around. I thought I heard the ticking of a clock somewhere.

Looking back, I could see the mirror from which I came here, but instead of showing my reflection like the other mirrors, it showed the bedroom I was in just a second ago. I shivered. Could this be a…

…_parallel mirror world? _I thought.

Slowly getting freaked out, I looked down and saw…nothing. There was no floor, even though I was somehow standing after getting up from my sprawling position. I took a few tentative steps forward. The _tap-tap_ of my shoes' heels echoed around the place.

_Heels?_

I wasn't wearing heels. I gasped. I was wearing the ghostly white dress reflected in the mirror before I fell in. Now that I thought about it, it wasn't so ghostly after all; in fact, it was kind of pretty. The only kind of decoration on it seemed to be the endless amount of sparkles twinkling over the whole thing. Apparently I'd switched shoes, too. Now I had on some plain white flats with a little bit of heels.

On a hunch, I touched my hair. It was the same style of curls like when I used to transform into the magical me.

The ticking-clock sound grew louder.

_What am I going to do? _I thought. The mysteries just kept piling up.

The ticking grew louder again so that I had to cover my ears.

Suddenly something—I have no idea what—swerved down from above and came charging toward me. I realized just in time, and with a quick yelp, fell backwards through the full-length mirror and into the bedroom.

Breathing hard, I glanced around. Everything was silent and the mirror reflected things like it normally should. I was still wearing the dress.

I quickly pulled myself up and reached for the doorknob. Hurrying out the door (and without even bothering to close it), I ran down the hallways filled with warm yellow light.

**~Normal POV~**

Not knowing which way to go, Fine opened every door she came upon until she finally opened one that led outside the palace.

Relieved that she could escape, she ran across the snowflake path, then slowly stopped as she noticed a building the shape of a dome beside the path in what appeared to be the palace garden.

"_Meet us in the royal Snow-dome…"_ The words rang in her head.

Backing up, she walked along the crystal-covered ground, reaching the door of the dome. Pushing it open, she stuck her head inside and marveled at all the different plants she'd never seen before. The Snow-dome was like a greenhouse, only the plants bloomed in winter. Standing in the doorway, Fine wondered if this kingdom ever had spring.

"Come in," Someone said from the back of the dome.

Taking baby steps, she cautiously stepped forward to find the boy/prince sitting at a round ice table, sipping tea.

The boy gestured for her to sit, and Fine sat down, staring at the steaming hot tea.

The boy gave her a look and explained, "Just because we live in a cold environment doesn't mean we eat cold food all the time."

Embarrassed again, Fine said, "Right, sorry."

She'd never felt like this before in front of a boy. Most cases, she would've just laughed it off, but now, her face was getting slightly redder and she turned her head away.

The boy smiled inwardly, and then said, "Here, have some tea. I'm Akihiko. The others couldn't arrive today so you'll meet them tomorrow. You probably want to ask a lot of questions, but I'll explain later. Right now we need to discuss our wedding."

Fine spit out her tea, dropped her cup, and knocked her chair back all at the same time as she abruptly stood up, hands clutching the edge of the table.

"What?"

Calmly, Akihiko replied, "Don't you remember me?"

He waited patiently as Fine took a trip down Memory Lane.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

**~Fine's POV~**

Eyes open wide, I finally recalled that time from the depths of my heart…

_There I was, sitting on the curb in the town of the Sunny Kingdom. I was 4 years old at the time. Mother, Queen Elsa, came out of the dress shop and took my hand, leading me back to the palace._

_I spied a pastry shop and without another thought let go of Mother's hand and ran across the road. I stopped in front of the store door. I needed Mother if I was going to be able to buy any cakes, so I turned back around with a smile on my face…and froze in place._

_My smile disappeared. The streets and houses and Mother and everything else was gone, too. Just an endless, pitch black all around, surrounding me until I felt like choking. _

_I crouched down, put my head in my arms, and cried. I didn't notice a bright light moving towards me until it was really up close. I looked up and saw a 5-year-old boy standing above me, offering me his hand. I took it, and he led me into the light._

_On the other side I entered a world so strange I couldn't help but stare. The boy, who I saw wore a crown (he was a prince, it seemed), gave me a tour of "his kingdom." So he _was _a prince._

_He offered me a handkerchief to dry my tears. I took it gratefully and wiped my eyes, putting on the bravest smile I could._

"_Don't worry about getting back," He, whose name was Akihiko, said. "I'll make sure you'll get back safe and sound."_

_I smiled at him, muttering a "Thank you." I was worrying less and less. I felt safe with him._

"_Not right now, though. The Star isn't strong enough yet to support transportation whenever we like to. You'll have to stay here awhile."_

"_It's ok!"_

_Aki took me to all his favorite places in the town, one of them luckily being a pastry shop with the best cakes I'd ever tasted! Yum!_

_I liked Aki more and more. During my week there, he fixed up a room for me in the palace, took me every day to the pastry shop, defended me against some mean bullies (they teased me before they knew I was friends with the prince), and just simply made me feel welcome in his home._

_He held my hand all the time so I wouldn't be afraid. We played and played. So I was sad when the Star was ready and I had to go home._

_Aki looked into my eyes and said, "Don't worry; we'll be able to play together again someday!"_

_Whenever he said "don't worry", I never worried._

_In a flash—literally—I was back in the Sunny Kingdom, back in the palace, with Mother and Father watching Rein and I eat our dinner. Then I went off to play. It seemed like nothing had happened. And in a way, it didn't. None of us remembered a thing about the event._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

**~Back at the Royal Wonder Academy of Education~**

Needless to say, everyone was freaking out about Fine's sudden disappearance.

"Ohno,ohno,ohno! What do we do?" Rein screamed anxiously, running in circles around the room.

Bright paced slowly back and forth. "Hmm…it seems that wasn't a normal person."

Altezza grabbed Bright's arm and burst out, "Onii-sama, hurry up and think of something!"

"What we need now is background information." Everyone turned to look at Shade, who had his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face ('cause he couldn't think of a solution). "I suggest we go to the library—"

He'd barely said the word before everyone knocked down the auditorium doors and ran out, leaving him in the dust.

**~In the library~**

"No, no, no, no!" Rein mumbled as she stepped from ladder to ladder, searching all books on the top shelves.

They'd barged their way into the library, immediately receiving a big "Shh!" from the librarian and other people. Then they'd pushed everyone else out and locked the double doors. The librarian threatened to call the principal (not that the group cared).

"It's not here either!"

"It's not in the fiction section!"

They paused for a minute to stare at Tio, who began whistling and checking the reference section.

"Did you find anything?"

"No!"

"Maybe here…?"

Shade was walking past a super-tidy biography shelf when a glossy book cover shining under the lights caught his eye. For some reason, it was lying on top of the low shelf. It had no title. He walked over to it, slowly opened the thin hardcover book to a random page, and gasped. There was that boy who took Fine away! Or at least, that boy's look-alike. He had the same-color blond hair and the same outfit, cape, and blue eyes.

"I found it!" He shouted. "I found it!"

Altezza and Lione looked up from under a pile of returned books. Tio and Mirlo dropped their books and ran over to Shade. Auler and Sophie glanced at each other and smiled excitedly. The seed princesses and prince also scurried over while Bright frantically tried to catch Rein as she tottered on the ladder.

Everyone crowded around Shade as he started reading from the first paragraph.

"_There is not much known about this mysterious place, not even its true name, so we'll call it the Kingdom of Snow._

"_What we do know is that it's surrounded by snow all the year round. It has the best crystals and minerals (causing its shiny look). Buildings are made out of snowflakes and ice. The most spectacular of them is the Quartz Palace._

"_Made entirely out of quartz and crystal, it houses the prestigious Kingdom of Snow's royal family, who has lived there for 8000 years."_

"So Fine was taken there?" Rein asked.

"If my theory is correct, Fine was taken by a member of the royal family, and she's probably in the Quartz Palace right now," Bright said seriously.

Shade nodded and continued:

"_The royal families were and always have been consisted of a king and queen, the princess, and the prince. Out of them all, the prince has the most power to travel to other planets. This is because the prince must go to a certain planet to choose his bride, and that one planet is…"_

Shade stopped and dropped the book. It landed on the floor with a quiet bang.

"What's wrong?" Tio asked.

Rein picked up the book and looked at the page, then let out a scream of surprise and said, "It's the Wonder Planet! Fine has been picked to be _married_!"

There was never such a loud noise that shook the school as when everyone exclaimed, "What?"

And then came the arguing. So many voices pushed each other to get a word in on what to do, or if Fine knew, or how to get her back before it was too late. Only Shade said nothing but clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at nothing in particular. His cool demeanor was completely gone.

"QUIET DOWN!"

Everyone jumped. No one had ever heard Shade's voice this loud before.

"We don't have time to argue! We need to rescue Fine!"

Rein read another paragraph in the book. "It says that travel from other planets to the Kingdom of Snow depends solely on the Star, and the book doesn't explain what that is. Wait—listen! It says there's another way!"

Shade peeked over her shoulder.

"_The Kingdom of Snow is connected to the Image Dimension, a strange place of both good and evil-doings. _(So you see Fine's theory wasn't very far off.) _It's filled with mirrors of all kinds that all lead to a different place, but once you enter the Dimension, you can clearly see only the mirror to the place where you started. Other mirrors' locations will have to be determined by instinct."_

Bright added, "Does it tell how to enter that place?"

"Mmm…It says to touch a mirror with the Dream Quartz, but nothing else. Although…we could go in if the mirror was 'malfunctioning.' But that doesn't make any sense." Rein explained.

"That's it!" Shade said. "I'm sick of waiting!"

He unlocked the library doors and ran out, letting in a waterfall of students and teachers falling on top of each other. The others followed him.

He got a piece of rope from the PE closet and running to a random mirror in the school, whipped it and hit the center of the mirror, shattering the glass. At first, nothing happened, but he thought hard.

_Come on, please work. I need to save Fine before she gets married!_

He opened his eyes and suddenly the broken mirror wasn't technically "broken" anymore. The glass was still shattered, but the mirror now showed an empty space with floating mirrors, definitely something that could never have been reflected by a mirror in the school.

Shade stepped up to it, and Bright followed, but Shade said, "Wait. I'll go myself. It might be dangerous. If this doesn't work and I can't come back…it's better if I go myself."

"But—"

"Just let me go."

Bright stared at him and finally nodded. The others watched nervously as he stepped through the portal and vanished, leaving behind normal broken glass, with no hint that it had happened at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

**~At the Snow-dome~**

The rest of the time Fine spent at the dome was more like a Q&A session:

**Fine (F): **Who are you, exactly?

**Aki (A): **Prince Akihiko of the Crystal Realm, the eldest of my parents' kids, otherwise known as the Prince of the Snow to foreigners. ^-^

**F**: What is this place?

**A**: Like I said, the Crystal Realm. It's practically a secret kingdom because so few people know about it. I could tell you the entire history of this place, if you want.

**F**: Um, thanks, but what is the Star that you've mentioned?

**A**: Oh, the Star? It's a magical gateway from the Crystal Realm to the outside world. You travel through it in a flash of light because the Star is literally a star. Don't you remember that time when you went back to the Sunny Kingdom in a burst of white light? On the other side of the Star, people see the gateway as just another little twinkling light in the sky. When you go through, you don't just go directly into space, but rather, you float into a timeless area with colorful balls of light surrounding you. Then you think hard about where you want to go and you're there! Although you could just travel into space if you wanted and fly to whichever planet you want. Well, if you can actually _fly_.

**F**: So…is that how you came to our school and just…took me away?

**A**: Yes!

**F**: How come I didn't remember you in the beginning?

**A**: I'd say that's because at first, you were too surprised, and then confused, and then shocked, and only recalled it when you and I finally had a talk.

**F**: Oh. How did you find me, though?

**A** (shrugging): Navigation.

**F**: No, I mean, how did you know I was on the Wonder Planet?

**A**: Easy. I've been tracking you occasionally ever since you left here.

**F** (clears her throat): …Why would you do that?

**A** (half smiling, half smirking): Gosh, you're the same as ever, Fine. If you don't mind me saying, your memory's not any better, either. I told you, you came here to be my bride. **We're going to be married. **If I didn't follow you, who knows if you would've landed into the hands of some other guy?

**F**: Gah! Please! Don't mention the…thing. I—I can't take it…

Here the Q&A session stopped abruptly at Fine's awkward response, but also because she was thinking of a certain boy, making it impossible for her to continue anyway after Aki's reply, especially the last sentence. She sighed quietly. If he (that boy) liked her that way, she probably would've gone with him after all.

_But why would he like _me_? _Fine thought.

Akihiko stared at her expectantly. She didn't know what to say, so Fine said the only thing that came to her:

"I need to go take a break."

Aki tilted his head, looking at her confusedly. Reading the tiredness and uncertainty in her eyes, he smiled a little and nodded.

And with that, Fine strode out of the dome, across the garden, into the palace hall, and right back into the bedroom—apparently _her _bedroom, the one that had been furnished for her all those years before—and plopped down on the bed, lying in the exact same place she'd found herself when she woke up.

* * *

><p><strong>~In the mirror universe~<strong>

Shade wasn't having much luck.

He had absolutely no idea where to go, and no matter how many times he turned around and around, every direction (if there was any) seemed exactly the same.

Added to that, he heard an annoying ticking-clock sound in the far background, but seeming to get closer and closer, louder and louder. With each step he took, the speed of the ticking hastened. But even though it was faster, the tick-tocks were still very distinct, never merging into each other. To him, they seemed to be mocking him, reminding him of the time he was wasting simply by trying to find a specific mirror.

Then a thought came to him: _What if there's time difference? What if the more time I spend here, the more time is going on outside. What if…What if Fine's already married?_

This last thought scared him so much he began to run faster through this bottomless pit of a world…until something dark swooped at him from above, knocking him over.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

**~Fine's POV~**

"Er…hi—I mean, hello—King Akihito, Queen Masako," I said nervously while curtsying slightly.

The grand hall of the palace was amazing. It was extra large with floor to ceiling windows, royal blue curtains tied at the sides. The king and queen sat on their thrones in the back center of the room. I looked up at them again. Really, they wore robes and outfits fit for gods! (Though that was probably because they were decorated with paper-thin pieces of shiny crystal, making them shimmer from all directions.)

Aki had pulled me into the hall as soon as he was able to wake me up from bed. I had no idea what he was doing until I saw his parents. Oh. So it was a meet-the-parents interview. Aki watched from the side.

She started, "I'm Fine—"

The king held up his hand, and I stopped.

"No need to introduce yourself," He said. "Akihiko here has told us all about you. And of course…" King Akihito had a gleam in his eyes. "…we took care of you when you visited our land."

I felt the heat in my cheeks shoot up.

"Hmm…she was supposed to have come by now…" The queen murmured.

"Huh? Who?" I asked. The heat in my cheeks went down a little.

The tall doors behind me slowly creaked open. I turned around to see a beautiful girl clad in a floor-length dress step into the room. With hardly a sound, she moved gracefully over to the king and queen and stood beside them. I noticed her dress changed colours—from sky blue to pale pink to sunny yellow—whenever she moved.

Queen Masako introduced her. "Fine, this is our daughter, Princess Aiko. If you need any help please look for her."

I stared at Princess Aiko, particularly into her dark sapphire eyes, marveling at the same time at the cleverness of all their names (how they all seemed to come from a primary source). A fleeting look of surprise flew across her face, and there was the faintest hint of a smile twitching at her lips. But then for some reason, the smile dropped and the eyes became dull. She scowled at me!

Why? I've only just met her! Did she not like visitors?

"Aiko, why don't you take Fine for a tour of the palace before breakfast?" The queen recommended.

I sneaked a peek at Aiko. She returned my glance with narrowed eyes. I shivered. Somehow, I didn't picture the idea of spending the entire morning with someone who hated me for no reason very pleasing. But then again, what choice did I have?

I tried to be nice. "That sounds fun! Will you take me?" I asked, turning to face her.

A mix of emotions passed her face. First uncertainty, then bewilderment, finally exasperation.

She nodded her consent.

* * *

><p>Following Aiko down the hall, I got the sense she and I both were feeling pretty self-conscious. So I started the conversation first.<p>

"Hey…Ai-chan—can I call you Ai-chan?—let's be friends!" I blurted out. I only realized how forcefully I'd said it after it was spoken. I was about to cover it up with more talk when Ai-chan stopped walking, causing me to bump directly into her.

Since the first time I saw her that morning, she opened her mouth and spoke. "I'm kinda tired today. Can we continue this tomorrow?"

And without waiting for a reply, she jogged the rest of the way, leaving me standing there. I heard the sound of a door opening and slamming shut.

**~Aiko's POV~**

I couldn't believe it.

"Fine's back!" I exclaimed aloud in the safety of my room.

But then my heart immediately became heavy again. _How come she doesn't remember me? We used to be such good friends…_

Flashback:

"Aiko, this is my friend, Fine. I found her alone in a dark place in the Sunny Kingdom. Fine, this is my sister, Aiko," Aki was explaining.

I backed away when he pulled forward a girl with reddish-pink hair and eyes. She was the same age as me. I didn't know how to greet her because I was shy and didn't have many friends.

Suddenly she jumped forward and grabbed my hands. "Hey…Ai-chan—can I call you Ai-chan?—let's be friends!" Her smile was radiant.

At first I didn't know what to think, but then I warmed at the thought of finally having a friend to play with and share secrets with.

Grinning equally happily, I shouted out, "Okay!"

(End of flashback)

I sighed. She didn't remember me. If she did, she wouldn't have had that blank expression on her face when she saw me, even if she said the exact same words as before. It was just a coincidence.

Then, in my head, I heard the faintest voice—my conscience—whispering, "Nothing is a coincidence."

And you know what? I almost believed it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **_**Please excuse the growing number of characters. :D They're all essential to the story, though.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8:<strong>

**~Image Dimension~**

A tall dark figure loomed over Shade. Whoever or whatever it was wore a cloak and hood.

"Get up," The figure's voice said sternly.

Shade got up. If he was going to be yelled at, he wasn't going to take it lying down. He realized they were the same height.

The figure pulled down his hood, revealing a very normal-looking boy with honey-coloured hair and sparkling brown eyes.

"Who are you?" Shade asked.

"No one important," he answered curtly, then seemed to reconsider. "Well, if you must know, my name is Kin, Princess Aiko's fiancé.

"Princess Aiko?"

"The royal princess of the Crystal Realm. You're going there, aren't you?"

"How do _you _know?"

"I've observed your problem for some time, and I'm ready to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" The last thing Shade expected was to be making a deal with someone. Time was crucial! "I'm sorry, I'm not interested."

He tried to push past Kin, but he blocked his way.

"Just listen to me first! If you help me, I'll tell you where the girl is."

Shade looked cautiously at Kin. "You mean Fine?"

He nodded.

Sighing, he said, "Ok, so what do I have to do?"

Kin started stuttering. "Oh, well…it's—it's like this. I'm Aiko's fiancé, but she…her memories of me were erased by a powerful witch. I don't know why. Also…that's also why Fine didn't remember Akihiko when she returned home when she was little, and also why she doesn't recognize Aiko."

"Wait, hold on," Shade replied. "Is this Akihiko the person who took Fine away? And they knew each other from long ago? Why did the witch erase their memories in the first place?"

"I don't know, but people say she loves to cause mischief. And Akihiko is the crown prince. Aiko is his sister."

"But then…how did Fine and that guy meet?" Shade sounded annoyed.

"I don't know everything, ok? Ask her yourself!" Kin snapped. "Anyway, since she doesn't know me now, I've been searching for a way to break the spell, but there's only one. This is where you come in."

Shade just stared.

Kin turned a bright shade (**author**_**: haha, that's funny, I actually used both the princes' names here**_) of red. "Um, you have to kiss her."

Shade rubbed his ear to see if he was turning deaf. When apparently he wasn't, he asked angrily, "Why? How come _you _can't kiss her?"

"'Cause I just can't! The magic was cast over me and Aiko. Someone else has to break it for us! All I've been doing in this mirror place is waiting for someone to come by 'cause research says the person has to be of different origin!"

A picture of Fine wouldn't leave Shade's head. He _did not _want to kiss Aiko.

"What about your part of the deal? What are you going to do for me?" Shade asked.

"I'll point you in the right direction. You'll be in the Crystal Realm in no time. So do you agree to our conditions?"

Shade most definitely did not agree to the conditions. Being pointed in the right direction seemed such a flimsy bargain in exchange for a full-on kiss. But if he could know where Fine was and bring her back…maybe, just maybe, it was worth it. Even if he had to kiss some girl he didn't even _know._

Then he thought, _I could just not tell Fine. No, wait. What's there to be guilty about? She probably doesn't even like me back._

For the first time ever, he hoped that Fine didn't like him back so that he could just do his job and get her back safely without feeling guilty on his part.

"Ok," Shade said. _What am I doing? I'm gonna regret this for sure!_

Kin smiled a little. "As much as it pains me to ask you to do this, thank you. The mirror's over there." He stretched his finger to a nearby floor-length mirror. The mirror shimmered with a fleeting image of Fine leaning against her bedroom door.

Before Shade even knew what he was doing, he ran toward the mirror and disappeared.

**~Fine's POV~**

I sighed. Facing all these new people and places sure was exhausting. I leaned back against the door, staring out of the window at the sky across the room. _Kingdom beyond a star, huh?_

_I wonder what Rein and the others are doing…they're probably looking for me._

Without warning, something crashed into me from the side. I fell down onto the floor with an "Oomph". The thing lay on top of me. When I managed to look up, I saw Shade's face!

I gasped. "Shade! What are you doing here?"

He just hugged me. I turned red—very, very _red. _I hoped he didn't see that.

I tapped his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

He let go of me and said, "Come on, we have to go home now!"

Shade started to pull me up, but then a strange feeling came over me and I suddenly said, "I can't do that. I have an engagement with Aki."

Shade dropped my hand, letting me fall back onto the floor, at the same time that I thought, _Oh no, that came out really wrong. _What I meant was that I couldn't just up and leave like that because everyone here would start worrying, plus I had to work things out with the king, queen, and Aki. But it sounded like I actually _wanted _to get married to him!

I tried to cover it up. "Uh—I mean, I still have to sort things out before I can leave…I think you'll have to stay here awhile. It's probably close to breakfast; I'll introduce you to them in the dining room." I got up from the floor and opened the door, my body tense. After a few seconds, Shade followed me out into the hallway.

I had _no idea _how I was going to explain Shade to them.

Rounding a corner, I could see Aiko's bedroom door. As we walked past it, it swung open and she marched out, bumping right into Shade.

"Oh, sorry," She apologized. But that wasn't what got my attention. It was the fact that when she looked into Shade's eyes, something about her seemed to _change._ Aiko's face was slightly redder than usual, and were those _hearts _in her eyes?

I gaped at her. No way. It couldn't be…could it? _Aiko likes Shade! _I almost said it out loud. _This is bad! If she has a crush on my—_

My what? My one-sided love? Nevermind, it's perfectly fine for her to like him. I can deal with that. _Besides, I'm already engaged._

Argh! Why'd I think that again?

Aiko was pulling on my arm, eyes sparkling. "Fine, is this your friend? Great! What's his name?"

"Uh…Shade."

Before I could say anything more, she grabbed onto Shade's elbow and raced down the hall toward the dining room, hollering, "Shade, let's go to breakfast! I can't wait for you to meet my parents!"

I just stared after them with my mouth open. What just happened? Calm, princessy Aiko was actually very impulsive when it came to boys?

There had to be something wrong with the world.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Fine raced down the hall after Shade and Aiko. When she reached the dining room door, she was about to enter when Aiko suddenly turned around and slammed the door shut, thus hitting Fine's nose.

"Ow!" She shouted, rubbing her nose tenderly. At least nothing was broken.

She tried the door. It was locked. She banged on it with her fists and called, "Let me in, Aiko!" And when all else failed, she just put her ear to it and listened as best as she could.

"Mother, Father…" She heard Aiko begin. "This…is my boyfriend!"

Fine guessed she was probably gesturing to Shade at the moment. Her own heart just seemed to stop.

Some kind of glass shattered in the room, and then everything was silent. You could've heard a pin drop.

_Why isn't Shade saying anything? _Fine thought.

Finally she heard Shade's voice saying (and sounding all panicky), "NO! I mean, I'm not her boyfriend! I—I don't even _know _her! No offense, I mean everyone should know who the princess is—it's just…I guess…I don't. Um…"

Wow. She'd never heard Shade this flustered before.

The king spoke, "Aiko, what is the meaning of this?" His voice sounded gruff.

**~Shade's POV~**

Even though I would never do this to a girl, I seriously wanted to kick this princess for saying I was her boyfriend!

Aiko said, "Well, let's just say it was 'love at first sight.'" But he's my boyfriend, and there's nothing changing that!"

The king slammed his hand onto the table. A spoon flew across the room. Aiko finally released my arm.

"What about Kin? He's your rightful fiancé! I will _not _have a daughter who cheats on her own fiancé!" The king was so angry his face was red.

I for one couldn't believe Aiko was cheating on her real boyfriend. Then I remembered who Kin was and why I was here in the first place. But as I suspected, Aiko didn't know a thing.

"Kin? Who's Kin?"

The king's face returned to its normal color, replaced by a look of confusion when he saw the sincerity of Aiko's face. She really didn't know who he was. I huffed under my breath.

The queen put her hand on the king's arm and whispered into his ear. He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. "Aiko, go back to your room. We'll talk to you later." Then he looked at me. "I'm sorry for any trouble my daughter has caused you. You may rest in the castle for a while. I'll send someone to prepare you a room."

"Thank you," I said. Then I quickly backed out of the room, closing the door behind me.

"Ow…"

I turned around. Fine was flat against the wall and rubbing her nose. Uh-oh. I must've slammed the door in her face.

**~Fine's POV~**

_Ouchie, ouch, ouch!_

It's like this door has a grudge against me…or my nose, for that matter.

I looked up to see Aiko, but instead I found Shade, looking worriedly at me.

"Oh, Shade! I'm alright, really!" I tried to laugh, but I think it came out more like a choke.

I cleared my throat and began again. "So…what happened to Aiko?"

"I don't know," He said. "She's still in there, probably arguing with her parents."

The doors swung open again and Aiko stalked out. Shade grabbed me and pulled me aside before my nose was hurt for the third time. Aiko walked right past us with a clear look of annoyance on her face. When she noticed Shade holding my arm, she walked faster down the hall. A few moments later, we heard another door slam shut.

"Well, let's go out into the garden," I said. When Shade didn't move, I pulled on his sleeve and dragged him out.

"So," I started nervously while plopping onto a bench, "what are you doing here anyway?" I wanted to hit myself on the head. That sounded way too harsh.

Shade's face showed no emotion. "I came here to take you back."

I felt my face heating up. _Calm down! It's not like he just said he likes me! _"Oh…that's great! Um…how did you get here, though? Aki said there was only one route, and that's through the Star."

Now his face darkened. What did I say wrong this time?

"You know. Through the mirror."

"Oh…" (Like that helped). "Uh…so, what's with Aiko saying you're her boyfriend?"

"You heard?"

"Well, I didn't exactly hear directly, but then Aiko was like dragging you along or something and she slammed the door in my face so I kinda had no choice but to eavesdrop…" Gosh, I was talking way too fast all of a sudden. I fidgeted in my seat. Shade just kept staring at me. He was making me way nervous.

"It was a misunderstanding. I came from the Image Dimension, and I met Kin there. He said he was Aiko's fiancé, but that a witch erased her memory of him. So I need to—I mean, and that's also why you don't remember _that boy _that took you here. Now can we get going? I want to be back on the Wonder Planet soon."

I gaped at him. All these years I had a spell cast over me? And Aiko, too? I found it hard to believe. The Image Dimension? Was that the place I fell into when I passed through the mirror in my bedroom? But then I said the worst thing that could be said at the moment.

"I remember him."

Shade narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

"Akihiko. We were just talking and I suddenly remembered who he was. I mean, Aki and I were talking."

"_So_?"

I flinched. That had to be the most intimidating "_so_" I'd ever heard. I quickly tried to change the subject.

"Does that mean I met Aiko before, too? It's just that I don't recall it, right?"

"Yeah."

"…That's nice."

All of a sudden trumpets blared. It totally shattered the peace and quiet Shade and I were sitting in. I almost fell off the bench.

The messenger came up to us and declared, "Princess Fine, you are required now to have your fitting for your wedding dress."

A sinking feeling immediately placed itself in my stomach. I didn't dare to look at Shade. _But he doesn't like you! What's there to worry about?_

Abruptly, Shade stood up beside me. He grabbed my elbow and started pulling me toward the castle. "That's it. We're going home _now._ You can't stay here another second."

I really had no reason to object, so I followed him…until I heard Aki's voice behind me. Then I turned around slowly and tried to block Shade so Aki would stop glaring at him.

"Oh, hi! We were just taking a little break…This is Shade, by the way, from my planet. To tell you the truth, he came to get me home, if that's ok with you…" I could never seem to end my sentences properly these days.

To my horror, Aki walked up, pushed me aside, and faced Shade, who was glaring back at him.

Aki said (in a very disturbing, low voice), "You are _not _taking her home. I don't care who you are, but Fine is _my _princess."

I blushed. Silently, I tried to gesture to him to stop it.

And then Shade said, "No, she's not staying here because she's my—my friend." I think my heart broke here. "She should have the right to choose who she wants to marry, shouldn't she?"

My face turned a fire engine red. Rein would probably die if two boys were fighting over her, but I _didn't like this at all._ (Okay, I have to admit, it's kinda cool if you've never been _liked _that way your whole life, but this wasn't how it was supposed to go!)

I looked around. Where was that messenger?

Aki pulled me to his side. Shade pulled me back. Believe me, this actually went on a few times, with some threatening comments in-between.

Finally I screamed, "Stop it!" Then I didn't know what else to say, so I ran back into the castle, leaving the boys in the dust.

I accidentally bumped into the messenger from before. Oh, so he shows up now? He pushed me into a big room with sewing machines and fabric strewn everywhere. Standing on a little round podium, seamstresses ran back and forth taking my measurements and making the wedding dress.

Wait a minute…the wedding dress?

I hopped off the podium and made a run for it. All the seamstresses ran after me calling, "Princess! Princess!" They sure were persistent. In a way, they reminded of Camelot and Lulu.

Aiko was just turning the corner when I crashed into her. We both toppled to the floor. She took one look at the chasing seamstresses and pulled me into an open room with her. I listened at the door. The thundering group ran past. I turned to Aiko.

She was studying me closely. "I've heard you and your sister are the most un-princess-like princesses in the whole planet."

I laughed nervously. "That's true."

"But don't even think about seducing Shade."

Now I stopped laughing and stared at her disbelievingly. "What? I'm not seducing Shade! I'm not seducing anybody! I was _flown here _against my will!" (I said a silent "sorry" to Aki.)

"That's not the point! The point is Shade is mine!"

"No, Aiko! You don't know what you're saying! Shade told me just now that he met Kin in the Image Dimension. Kin is your real fiancé! We've both had a spell cast over us so I didn't remember anybody here, and you don't remember Kin!"

Aiko stared blankly at me for a minute. I hoped she was trying to remember. Then she said in an unconvincing voice, "That's ridiculous! Really, really ridiculous! How can I have a spell cast over me and not even know it? I'm the Snow Princess, for goodness' sake!"

"It's true," I said, coming up with an idea, "and I can prove it!"

I grabbed Aiko's wrist and led her into the hall.

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><p><strong>Press the cute little review button!^.^<strong>

**(You know you want to,hehe)**

**\/**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author speaking: **_**Hi! Thanks for reading my story! It's coming to a close soon so that I can work on better ones. Practice, practice, practice!^^**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 10:<strong>

**~Rein and Fine's house on the Wonder Planet~**

"*Sigh* Shade-sama's been gone for a whole day. I wonder if he's found Fine yet," Rein said while lying on her bed.

"Well, this _is _the Wonder Planet. I guess the most we can do is wonder and hope," Bright replied.

A big sigh rang through the room from everyone else there.

"No!" Rein sat up and looked at everyone. She seemed to be literally burning herself up. You could almost see a fire raging around her. "We have to try! There must be something we can do!"

"But _what_?" Altezza said frustratedly.

It was like someone splashed a bucket of water over Rein's head. Her fire went out and she dropped back onto the bed again. "I don't exactly know…"

Another sigh rang through the room.

"Some things _never _change," Altezza muttered. Bright nudged her in the side.

Rein got up again. "Why don't all of you go home? It's no use if we stay here with no plan."

"I think that's a good idea. We'll meet up again tomorrow at lunch. It's Saturday, anyway," Lione said.

"Yes! We must think of a plan! Saving a damsel in distress is a prince's duty!" Tio shouted. Lione covered her brother's mouth and led him out of the room. "Goodnight, Rein! Goodnight, everyone!"

"We should get going too," The seed princesses and prince mentioned.

After everyone else had left, Rein lay on her stomach and stared at Fine's empty bed. It felt so weird without her sister.

_~The next day_—

"So, any ideas?" Rein asked. Slowly, everyone shook their heads.

"We thought the whole night!"

"I gave up my beauty sleep for this!" **(Can you guess who this is?)**

"Sorry, but we tried! We really did!"

Rein sank to the ground. There seemed to be a dark cloud floating over her head, and it was currently pouring rain on her.

Just then real rainwater showered down on them. Thunder and lightning cracked in the sky. Immediately afterwards the sky cleared again, but not without leaving them completely soaked to the skin. Sophie looked confusedly at the sky.

"**BOO!**"

"Ahh!" All the girls and Tio screamed.

An old, old lady dressed like a witch cackled at her joke. When she was able to calm herself down, she said, "Well, well, look who we have here. I'm assuming you're trying to rescue a certain little girl named…oh, I don't know…_Fine?_"

Rein gasped and pounced on her. "Yes! How did you know?"

The lady shook her off and zoomed away, calling back, "Catch me if you can! Hahahahaha!"

"Hurry, catch her!"

The group thundered down the street, kicking up so much dust other pedestrians coughed on it. They ran back and forth, but whenever it seemed like the lady ran around one corner, she would appear from another.

Bright raced in front and held up his arms to stop everyone, but they trampled him anyway and landed in a heap on the ground. "We need to split up! That's the fastest way!"

"Ok!" And within half a minute they were speeding off in different directions.

"Look! It's the lady!" Sophie and Auler saw a fleeting image of her turning a corner and ran toward her.

On the other side of a building, Bright and Altezza saw her flying down the street opposite to theirs.

The seed princesses and prince chased after her through the park trees.

"Over there!" Lione and Tio tripped over each other trying to reach the lady eating cake at a shop table. When they looked up again, she was gone and they heard her voice coming from the top of a car.

Rein and Mirlo checked in every store. Then when Rein was being mesmerized by some new dresses in a boutique, Mirlo saw the lady. She ran over to her.

In the middle of the plaza, Mirlo, Lione, Tio, Bright, Altezza, Auler, Sophie, the seed princesses, and the seed prince crashed into each other with a loud _bang!_ They looked up to see the witch lady floating over them, laughing to herself again.

Rein started running up to them, waving her hand in the air. "Hey, you guys! What—" Then she stopped talking because she noticed the lady. A lightbulb appeared over her head. She crept up behind her. The witch probably had some kind of laugh addiction, because she couldn't seem to stop. Rein jumped and pulled her down by the ankles. Then everyone crowded around her so that she couldn't escape.

"Where's Fine?"

"Who are you?"

"What have you got to do with this situation?"

"Enough!" The witch pushed all of them away and glared. "You're not getting anything out of me." She crossed her arms.

"But we caught you!"

"And I never said I would tell you if you caught me."

Altezza marched up to her. "Hey, you can't just trick us like that. Tell us what you know or else I'll send you to my parents—" This is where Bright covered her mouth in case of angering the witch.

Rein begged, "Please, won't you tell us? We'll repay you!"

"No."

"I'll give you my favourite dress!"

Everybody stared at Rein. She laughed nervously and said, "I mean, I'll introduce you to a really good fortune-teller in our planet. Yeah, that's it! Her name is Chuuba." This interested her.

"When?" The lady glanced suspiciously at Rein.

"When I have time. And also after you tell us what you know about Fine right now!"

The witch considered it for a while. "Alright, then." Then she told them the exact details of why Fine was taken away and all the mumble-jumble of her spell that she cast over them. When finished speaking, she stood there looking proud of her strong magical powers, but the rest of them very clearly looked annoyed.

"Since I see you have nothing to do right now, how about that trip to the fortune-teller?" The witch asked Rein.

A dark aura appeared around Rein. She leaned toward the witch and whispered, "Take it back."

The witch spluttered, "You can't take back this deal! That's cheating!"

The whole group screamed at her, "Not the deal, TAKE THE SPELL BACK!"

"Why?"

"Because it's not funny! TAKE THE SPELL BACK!"

"Don't any of you people have a sense of humour?"

"TAKE—"

"Okay, okay! I'll take it back," she muttered. "But you'd better take me to that fortune-teller. I need some advice on seeing into the future for this new potion I'm making. It's supposed to make yourself ten years older for five hours just so…nevermind." She cleared her throat at the glaring crowd.

She turned her back to the group so they couldn't see what she was doing. She sensed them trying to look over her shoulder, so she turned back around. Taking out her wand, she said some words of witchcraft. Sparks shot out of the tip of her wand and flew high in the air until they couldn't be seen.

"Do you believe me now? Those sparks will reach you friend and change everything back to normal."

Rein smiled and replied, "Thank you! I'll take you to the fortune-teller soon, but not now. Thanks again for your help!"

And with that, she followed her friends down the street.

**~Crystal Realm~**

**~Fine's POV~**

I was almost there. My plan would've worked perfectly (well, hopefully) if Shade hadn't showed up and asked to talk to Aiko privately. He led her away from me and into a faraway room. I know because I followed them.

If anyone asks me why, I'm probably always going to say it was because something felt wrong. But really, I think the real reason is because I was jealous. I wanted to see what Shade would tell Aiko. After all, what did he have to tell her that I couldn't hear?

So I followed behind them. I was never very good at trying not to get found out, and they walked all the way to the other side of the castle; let me just say it was long time before I dared breath. Still, I made it without anyone noticing and saw Shade asking Aiko which room was okay to enter. She showed him an empty room.

Uh-oh…he was turning around, he was turning around! In a moment he would see me! I glanced around and quickly dived behind a pillar. I peered out from the other side. Shade looked to see if anyone was watching, then went into the room with Aiko and pushed the door closed.

I ran over and crouched at the door. It wasn't closed! He'd unknowingly left a crack open. I pushed it open a little more (thank goodness the door wasn't creaky!) and almost gasped at what I saw. My eyes widened. What I felt inside of me at the moment I'm not quite sure, but I felt my heart tightening and my breathing go sharp and fast.

Shade was kissing Aiko.

_Shade's kissing Aiko, Shade's kissing Aiko, Shade's kissing Aiko…_I couldn't get the thought out of my head. I couldn't get it out of my _eyes_, either. I didn't even have the energy to cover my mouth so I wouldn't accidentally cry out.

Mustering up all the strength I had left, I finally picked myself up from the floor and ran back to my room, not caring a bit how loud (if they were) my footsteps were.

So that's it.

Shade likes Aiko. And there's nothing I can do about it.

I was such a clown to think maybe he liked me!

By the time I buried my face into the pillow, tears were streaming down my cheeks, and I was hiccupping as well. I wrapped the pillow tighter around. It was all I could do to make sure my cries weren't audible outside.

**~Normal POV~**

And that's when the sparks arrived.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author ("Angel" from now on): **_**So this is the last chapter! I'm REALLY sorry for the long, long wait, but I was on vacation. After all, it's summer! ;D Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read my story!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 11:<strong>

"Oh my GOSH, what are you doing?"

I swiped my hands in front of him to try to get him away. What was this blue-haired guy trying to do kissing me? I, Princess Aiko of the Crystal Realm, am not an easy character to defeat!

The guy looked surprised and tentatively touched his cheek where I accidentally slapped him. Well, his fault for trying to kiss me when I already have the perfect boyfriend ever, Kin!

Kin… "*Gasp* Kin!" Everything suddenly rushed back into my head like a waterfall just released from a wall of stones. What have I done? The guy in front of me is Shade, Fine was somehow carried here by my brother, I said I wanted Shade as my boyfriend, and Kin…ohmygosh. Oh no, oh no, oh no, Kin must be heartbroken! I have to find him immediately!

**~Shade's POV~**

Before she pushed me away, I noticed some sparks raining down on her. I don't know _what _happened, but she apparently doesn't like me anymore. And she just cried "Kin!" Wait, does that mean she remembers him now? That's perfect!

"You remember him now? Kin, I mean," I asked her.

She looked up at me with big, clear eyes and nodded eagerly.

"Then what are you waiting for? The mirror is in Fine's room. I saw Kin in the Image Dimension on my way here!"

She shrieked and ran out of the room.

"Fine!" She screamed.

What? I tell her where her boyfriend is and all she says is "fine" and runs out of the room like I forced her to go look for him? …Uh oh…Fine! Man, I completely forgot about her! I followed Aiko, but boy, can she run fast! I guess she really does like Kin after all.

Fine's door was open. As I entered, I saw Aiko disappearing through the mirror. Then I looked around for her. I don't know why I was so worried. After all, it's not like she saw my attempt to kiss Aiko, right?

I noticed sheets from her bed were gone. Looking toward the window, my suspicions were confirmed. She climbed out the window! That's just what she would do. If I hurry now, I could still catch her.

I grabbed hold of the sheets she tied together and climbed out. There she was! I spotted her running across the snow toward the Dome! Hopping right down from the window onto the ground, I chased after her.

I caught her arm and spun her around to face me…and then let go. Her face was tear-streaked. What happened to her?

**~Fine's POV~**

Shade was staring at my face. I tried to wipe the remaining tears away but he caught my hand first.

"What happened to you?"

"You kissing Aiko happened, that's what!" I shouted at him. Wow. I'd never thought I'd yell at Shade. I've yelled at Rein and at Pyu Pyu, but I've never yelled at Shade before.

He seemed confused for some reason. Like he didn't hear me. That's just like him. I muster up all my courage to say the one thing that's bothering me, and he doesn't even have the decency to listen.

"I _said_, you kissing Ai—"

Then Shade kissed me.

I don't know how it happened. All I knew was that my eyes widened to the circumference of a plate.

Okay, I know Rein told me that you should always enjoy your first kiss as much as you can, but I couldn't help it: I pushed him away.

I covered my mouth with my hand and stared hard at him. I was angry. Very, very angry. How dare he kiss me right after he kissed Aiko?

"How dare you kiss me right after you kissed Aiko?" I screamed at him. No matter how hard I tried not to, I just couldn't stop crying a little because of the injustice of the whole thing.

"I didn't kiss Aiko!" He said.

What? I stared at him some more before I regained my senses.

"But…how…I saw you two—and…" Great. I've turned into a blubbering fool again.

"I didn't kiss Aiko," He repeated, "because there were some strange sparks that rained down on her and she pushed me away."

I sighed inwardly. I was _so _relieved they didn't kiss yet, but I wasn't letting him off easy for breaking my heart. I almost touched my lips again, but I grabbed my hand and clasped it behind my back with the other.

"You still like Aiko, though." I silently dared him to admit it.

A look of understanding seemed to pass his face.

"No, I don't like Aiko! The only reason why I tried to kiss her was because she and Kin were under a spell, and Kin asked me to break it for them…" Shade studied my face for a minute before he continued. "It was the only way."

I have to say here that I was _extremely, extremely _happy to hear this. Shade didn't like Aiko! He didn't kiss her either! I could have fainted right now, especially since the enormous sigh of relief was swelling in my chest with no way of getting out. Sure I was glad for myself, but I wasn't going to forgive him. **No matter what.**

Shade was waiting for my reply.

"Oh. Great. Let's go back to the Wonder Planet now." I turned away from him and started walking away.

"Fine, wait." He grabbed my arm again.

I sighed like I was seriously annoyed and slowly turned back around. "Yes?"

Was that a blush I saw on Shade's face?

"Fine, you have to know…the person I like is you."

I didn't expect this. At all. But Shade pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear, "I like you, Fine, and I hope you feel the same way about me."

My face was burning a degree too hot for comfort. You know when I said I would never forgive him? Maybe just this once…And you know what? I've found out that Shade can be romantic when he wants to.

"I like you, too." Did I just say that?

Shade released me and looked at me. "Then let's go home."

Smiling shyly, I nodded and followed him, led by the hand all the way back to the Wonder Planet.

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><p><strong>Epilogue:<strong>

**Universal: Crystal Realm**

Dear Fine,

This is a special letter that travels all over the universe until it reaches the person it's intended for.

First of all, I want to say that I don't mind. Nobody can help who they fall in love with, so stay with Shade and don't worry about me. I believe that I'll also find my soul mate soon, too. ;D

Second of all, thank you for all the happiness you've given me. I really liked the time we spent together. By the way, the marriage is cancelled. Well, _our _marriage is cancelled. I wouldn't say so much about Aiko and Kin's…although, they still have a long way to go before they can officially get married, with politics and all that stuff. Still, you know they'll get through it in the end.

When that time comes, Aiko will send you an invitation to their wedding! You can bring as many people as you like. (That would be the wedding of her dreams; she's such a romantic.)

Well, I hope you have a great time anywhere you go!

Best Wishes,

Aki

"Shade, Shade! Look! It's a letter from Aki! Aiko and Kin are getting married!"

Shade read the letter and smiled. "When did you get this?"

"This morning, when I was on the way to school," I answered.

He was silent for a while. Then he asked, "Do you believe in miracles?"

I leaned against his shoulder and said, "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>Angel: <strong>_**Hey there! Aiko and Kin are getting married! Send them all your best wishes! I really don't know if this ending is good or bad, but enjoy! I know it's kind of rushed, but I've tried my best! Please review! Thanks for all your support! Look forward to Angelwings!**_


End file.
